Luka Doncic praises Mavs HC Jason Kidd amid his Game 3 criticism

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd speaks to guard Luka Doncic.

Luka Dončić took plenty of heat following a tough Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals. In Dallas' third-straight loss to begin the series, Dončić fouled out of a postseason game for the first time in his NBA career, and his defensive effort drew major criticism from various media members and fans.

But Dončić and the Mavericks responded in Game 4 by putting together a dominant 38-point victory over the Celtics to extend their season and avoid being swept. Dončić played extremely well defensively throughout the game and had three steals.

After the victory, Dončić spoke about the criticism he's received since Game 3 and praised Mavericks coach Jason Kidd for standing up for him ahead of Game 4. As NBA reporter Rachel Nichols detailed, Kidd believed much of it was becoming too personal and had gone too far.

“That speaks a lot about [Kidd],” Dončić said. “He always has his players’ backs.”

He isn't wrong. Kidd has consistently stood by his players regardless of the situation. Following Dallas's 122-84 victory to make the series 3-1, the Mavs will need to come together more than ever in Game 5 on Monday back in Boston.

Dallas must make history by becoming the first NBA team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win a playoff series, but a 38-point victory is certainly a strong start.

Want more articles like this? Follow Yardbarker on MSN to see more of our exclusive NBA content.

More must-reads:

Trending slideshow: Every NBA Rookie of the Year award winner (Provided by Yardbarker)